January 5, 2023 The latest updates on NFL star Damar Hamlin's condition

By Aditi Sangal, Adrienne Vogt, Leinz Vales and Matt Meyer, CNN

Updated 9:26 a.m. ET, January 6, 2023
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11:26 a.m. ET, January 5, 2023

Hamlin’s agent tells CNN the Bills player is awake and has been holding hands with family

From CNN's David Close

Damar Hamlin celebrates after a tackle during a game against the Minnesota Vikings on November 13 in Orchard Park, New York.
Damar Hamlin celebrates after a tackle during a game against the Minnesota Vikings on November 13 in Orchard Park, New York. (Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)

Damar Hamlin’s agent Ron Butler told CNN the injured Buffalo Bills player is awake and has been holding hands with family in the hospital.

The Buffalo Bills earlier said that Hamlin has "shown remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours" and "has demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact."

Correction: An earlier version of this post misspelled the first name of the agent.

11:00 a.m. ET, January 5, 2023

Agency that represents Hamlin says he has made "substantial improvement overnight"

From CNN's David Close

Agency 1 Sports, the agency that represents Bills safety Damar Hamlin, tweeted that “Damar has made substantial improvement overnight.”

The agency also thanked people around the nation for support and all the healthcare providers who have helped Hamlin.

See the tweet:

10:35 a.m. ET, January 5, 2023

Damar Hamlin has "shown remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours," Buffalo Bills say

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has "shown remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours," according to an update shared on the team's Twitter account.

"While still critically ill, he has demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact," the update added. "His lungs continue to heal and he is making steady progress."

Hamlin has been in critical condition since his collapse on the field at Monday's game and is under the care of the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

9:25 a.m. ET, January 5, 2023

"Monday Night Football" telecast in which Hamlin collapsed was most watched in ESPN history

From CNN's Oliver Darcy and Jennifer Korn

The NFL showdown on Monday between the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills was the most-watched “Monday Night Football” telecast in ESPN history, according to preliminary ratings.

The game was postponed in the first quarter after Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field,

Nielsen said Wednesday that the broadcast had an average of 23,788,000 viewers across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 from approximately 8:30 pm to 10:09 pm. The massive audience makes it the most-watched “Monday Night Football” broadcast since the NFL moved the series to ESPN in 2006, surpassing the previous record of 21.8 million viewers for a Packers-Vikings game in 2009.

During game play, ESPN averaged 21.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings. That audience then grew to 23.9 million viewers between 9 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. when ESPN aired news coverage of Hamlin’s collapse.

An ESPN spokesperson told CNN on Wednesday that, given the special circumstances around Monday’s game, it was not clear whether the viewership numbers would be factored into the season average or used for historical purposes.

Read more here.

8:50 a.m. ET, January 5, 2023

Tom Brady and Russell Wilson among players who have donated to Hamlin's charity toy drive

From CNN's Wayne Sterling

Multiple NFL teams and players have donated to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin's GoFundMe toy drive charity.

Indianapolis Colts and owner Jim Irsay donated $25,003, the NFL team told CNN Wednesday. 

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and the team contributed $18,003. The Patriots wrote on Twitter Wednesday, "In Jewish culture, 18 symbolizes “chai” or “life", while 3 represents Hamlin’s number."

Also donating were the Houston Texans who gave $10,003 and the Washington Commanders who gave $5,000, both teams told CNN.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady as well as Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson and his wife Ciara donated $10,000 apiece.

Andy Dalton of the New Orleans Saints participates in warmups August 19.
Andy Dalton of the New Orleans Saints participates in warmups August 19. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

New Orleans quarterback Andy Dalton and his wife, JJ, gave $3,000 to Hamlin's charity.

Dalton talked about his special bond with the Buffalo Bills' fan base.

"I think this has been something that I have personally been affected by, especially with that happening to a Bills player, the Bills fan base," Dalton said. "The support of Buffalo have donated to my foundation through a win. 
"Now this is something completely different. This is a tragedy that something happened and so one way to show our support is we wanted to give back. ...The donation is small but we're really thinking about him and praying that he's going to push through with everything."

Fantasy leagues are donating too, according to a GoFundMe.

“A lot of fantasy football leagues are donating their prize pots to the fundraiser," the spokesperson told CNN. "You can find at least a handful using the league name as the donor name. For context the MNF football game in which Hamlin got hurt was the final game for most fantasy football playoffs."

The GoFundMe organized by Hamlin has raised more than $6.5 million.  

8:27 a.m. ET, January 5, 2023

Damar Hamlin is making progress, his father told Buffalo Bills on Wednesday

From CNN’s Coy Wire in Buffalo

Damar Hamlin’s father, Mario Hamlin, did a Zoom call with the Buffalo Bills on Wednesday.

He said that his son is making progress, a source within the Bills organization told CNN Thursday.

Players were emotional and felt encouraged, the source said.

The Bills are expected to practice on Thursday.

8:23 a.m. ET, January 5, 2023

Indianapolis Colts' Rodney Thomas II details visiting Hamlin in the hospital

From CNN's Jacob Lev

Indianapolis Colts safety Rodney Thomas II warms up before a game October 2.
Indianapolis Colts safety Rodney Thomas II warms up before a game October 2. (Jenna Watson/IndyStar/USA Today Network/Reuters)

Indianapolis Colts rookie safety Rodney Thomas II detailed visiting his childhood friend and high school teammate Damar Hamlin in the hospital while speaking to reporters on Wednesday.

Thomas said he had no idea what had happened to Hamlin until his dad Facetimed him. Thomas said he got in his car and drove to the University of Cincinnati medical center to be with Hamlin.

"I had a goal," Thomas said. "I knew where I was going, so I just got on the road and I just went. Laser-focused."

Thomas said he held Hamlin's hand and spoke to him.

"I know he could hear me," Thomas said. "Even if he couldn't hear me, it didn't matter. I said what I had to say."

Thomas met Hamlin at Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh where the two were teammates and also became close friends, according to the Colts website. Thomas said he and Hamlin talked every day and even spoke before Monday's game.  

"It calmed me way down," Thomas said of being able to see Hamlin in the hospital. "It made the trip home a lot easier. I could go home and know he's gonna be straight, I got him. We all got him. Everybody's behind him. You see what's going on, everybody's behind him. And when he walks out of there and he sees the support he has, it's going to be a real special day."

Rodney Thomas II brings down Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen on December 26 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Rodney Thomas II brings down Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen on December 26 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. (Robert Scheer/USA Today Sports/Reuters)

The Colts are scheduled to play the Houston Texans on Sunday. Thomas said he will have Hamlin on his mind during the game. 

"I'm putting it right where it's gotta be — right in my mind and playing for him, playing for what he represents," Thomas said.

Thomas added that he has "no doubt" Hamlin will walk out of the hospital on his own.

"No doubt in my mind," Thomas said. "He's a fighter. No other thought in my mind of him walking out under his own power."

Thomas was drafted in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL draft by the Colts out of Yale University. 

7:59 a.m. ET, January 5, 2023

NFL is investigating every possible cause of Hamlin's cardiac arrest, chief medical officer says

From CNN's Jen Christensen

The NFL is investigating every possible cause behind the cardiac arrest of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, which resulted in his collapse mid-game against the Cincinnati Bengals, according to the NFL’s chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills. 

“I know there's been a lot of theories and a lot of discussion about commotio cordis, and that certainly is possible,” Sills said Wednesday on a press call.

Commotio cordis happens when severe trauma to the chest disrupts the heart’s electrical charge, causing dangerous fibrillations. 

Sills said it is a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning it might be the diagnosis if doctors don’t find any other causes.

“You have to have the right type of blow hitting at the right spot on the chest with the right amount of force at just the right time in that cardiac cycle. So a lot of things have to line up for that to happen,” Sills said.

Doctors will look for any potential congenital or other abnormalities with Hamlin’s heart, he said. Every player gets a physical before each season, and doctors take a detailed medical history, which includes American Heart Association screening guidelines related to potential cardiac issues.

Sills said any time a player is evacuated from the field, the NFL and its medical experts do a detailed review of what happened. They will also look specifically at the role of protective equipment. 

“I think that’s something that certainly we want to look at,” he said. “We do know that padding over the sternum can be protective to blows in situations where commotio cordis is a consideration, so that is something that certainly will be discussed.”

Currently, players’ shoulder pads typically fit in an area that covers the sternum, he said.

Sills said that in some cases, the medical team will not be able to determine what caused the problem.

Regardless of the cause, what helped in this situation was that the NFL had the right people and equipment in place to provide “an extremely rapid response,” he said.”